Efficient sharing of artifacts between collaboration applications

ABSTRACT

A method can include evaluating each of a plurality of collaborative systems, using a processor, for suitability hosting an artifact according to at least one attribute of the artifact. A first collaborative system can be selected from the plurality of collaborative systems according to the evaluation. The artifact can be stored in the first collaborative system.

BACKGROUND

One or more embodiments disclosed within this specification relate tocollaborative systems.

Collaborative systems are often used within organizations to improvecommunication and efficiency. Organizations have also started to usecollaborative systems to interact with customers. Typically, forpurposes of security, the collaborative systems utilized within anorganization are separate and independent from the collaborative systemsused to interact with customers. For example, a collaborative systemthat is accessible by members of the organization can be located“behind” a firewall of the organization, whereas a collaborative systemused to interact with customers is not.

In many instances, it is desirable to make information available on twoor more collaborative systems, e.g., on a collaborative system internalto an organization accessible only by members of the organization andalso on a collaborative system that is accessible by non-members of theorganization. To accomplish this task, the information that is to bemade available must be manually uploaded to each collaborative systemindependently. As the information changes, the changes must be manuallyimplemented on each collaborative system. Maintaining up-to-dateinformation across multiple collaborative systems can be a laborioustask.

BRIEF SUMMARY

One or more embodiments disclosed within this specification relate tocollaborative systems.

One embodiment can include a method of processing an artifact. Themethod can include evaluating each of a plurality of collaborativesystems, using a processor, for suitability hosting an artifactaccording to at least one attribute of the artifact. A firstcollaborative system can be selected from the plurality of collaborativesystems according to the evaluation. The artifact can be stored in thefirst collaborative system.

Another embodiment can include a method of processing an artifact. Themethod can include associating an artifact with a plurality of users anddetermining each collaborative system from a plurality of collaborativesystems to which each of the plurality of users is registered for accessas a candidate collaborative system. A first collaborative system can beselected from the candidate collaborative systems. The artifact can bestored in the first collaborative system.

Another embodiment can include a system for processing an artifact. Thesystem can include a processor configured to initiate executableoperations as described within this specification.

Another embodiment can include a computer program product for processingan artifact. The computer program product can include a computerreadable storage medium having computer readable program code embodiedtherewith. The computer readable program code can be configured toimplement or initiate the various operations described within thisspecification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with an embodiment disclosedwithin this specification.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a data processingsystem.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method sharing artifacts betweencollaborative systems in accordance with another embodiment disclosedwithin this specification.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with another embodimentdisclosed within this specification.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method of sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with another embodimentdisclosed within this specification.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method of sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with another embodimentdisclosed within this specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied, e.g., stored,thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard diskdrive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-onlymemory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc (DVD), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storagemedium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a programfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber, cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing. Computer program code for carrying out operations foraspects of the present invention may be written in any combination ofone or more programming languages, including an object orientedprogramming language such as Java™, Smalltalk, C++ or the like andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The program codemay execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user'scomputer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user'scomputer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remotecomputer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may beconnected to the user's computer through any type of network, includinga local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or theconnection may be made to an external computer (for example, through theInternet using an Internet Service Provider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus,or other devices create means for implementing the functions/actsspecified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

One or more embodiments disclosed within this specification relate tocollaborative systems. In accordance with the inventive arrangementsdisclosed within this specification, the determination of which of aplurality of different collaborative systems is suited to host anartifact can be performed automatically. An “artifact,” as used withinthis specification, can refer to a digital object or asset. An artifact,for example, can be a file such as a document, whether a text file, apresentation, or the like, a multimedia file, an audio file, a videofile, etc.

One or more attributes of an artifact to be hosted within acollaborative system can be evaluated. A plurality of collaborativesystems also can be evaluated with respect to the attributes of theartifact and one or more characteristics of each collaborative systemunder consideration. A collaborative system that is suited to host theartifact can be selected based upon the evaluation.

Accordingly, the artifact can be automatically uploaded or stored on theselected collaborative system. In some cases, links to the artifact canbe created on one or more other collaborative systems, thereby reducingthe computing resources otherwise consumed by making the artifactavailable via more than one collaborative system. Other aspects of theone or more embodiments disclosed within this specification will beapparent from the following description in conjunction with the Figures.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with an embodiment disclosedwithin this specification. As shown, FIG. 1 illustrates collaborativesystems 105, 110, and 115. Each of collaborative systems 105-115 caninclude an application programming interface (API) through which one ormore other users and/or systems can interact. Collaborative system 105includes API 120. Collaborative system 110 includes API 125.Collaborative system 115 includes API 130.

In general, a “collaborative system” refers to a combination of one ormore data processing systems executing suitable computer program code,e.g., a collaborative application, that allows more than one userinvolved in a given task to work together towards the completion of thattask. The collaborative system allows the group of users involved in thetask to collaborate, i.e., work together, by sharing one or moreartifacts relating to the task, communicating with one another, and thelike. In some cases, the collaborative system can provide projectmanagement functions such as task assignment, time-management ofdeadlines, and shared calendars. Examples of collaborative systems caninclude LotusLive™ and IBM Connections, both of which are available fromInternational Business Machines Corporation of Armonk, N.Y. Otherexamples of collaborative systems can include Wikis, online meetingspaces, online forums, etc., where membership or access to acollaborative space within the collaborative system can be restricted toa defined and/or limited set of users registered with the collaborativesystem.

As used within this specification, a “collaborative space” can refer toan area, e.g., a logical area or a virtual area, or environment definedwithin a collaborative system in which artifacts can be stored orhosted. Each collaborative space can be associated with one or moreusers registered with the collaborative system in which thecollaborative space is located. Users associated with a collaborativespace are granted access to the collaborative space. Each collaborativespace within a collaborative system can be associated with a differentcombination of users that is independently specifiable from each othercollaborative space in the collaborative system. Typically, the usersgranted access to a collaborative space will be a subset of the usersregistered with the collaboration system.

A sharing system 135 can be communicatively linked with each ofcollaborative systems 105-115 via a communications network (network)140. Network 140 can be implemented as a wireless network, a wirednetwork, a public network, a private network, or any combinationthereof. In general, a user, such as an owner of an artifact 145 to behosted on one of collaborative system 105-115, can interact with sharingsystem 135. For example, sharing system 135 can provide a userinterface, e.g., a graphical user interface (GUI), through which theowner of artifact 145 can communicate.

In one aspect, an owner of artifact 145, e.g., a user, can identifyartifact 145 to sharing system 135 via the user interface. Sharingsystem 135 can be configured to automatically determine the mostsuitable one of collaborative systems 105-115 to host artifact 145. Theselection of a particular one of the collaborative systems 105-115 canperformed according to an evaluation of attributes of artifact 145, anevaluation of characteristics of collaborative systems 105-115, and/or acomparison of the attributes and characteristics. Having selected acollaborative system, sharing system 135 can interact with the selectedcollaborative system via the API of that collaborative system to uploadartifact 145.

For purposes of illustration, consider the case in which sharing system135 automatically selects collaborative system 105 to host the artifact.Sharing system 135 can be registered with each collaborative systems105-115 thereby allowing sharing system, acting via API 120, to createany objects, e.g., documents, activities, discussion entries, etc., thatmay be required in collaborative system 105 to host artifact 145. Forexample, sharing system 135 can instruct collaborative system 105 tocreate a collaborative space in which artifact 145 is stored and withwhich users intended to access artifact 145 are provided access.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a data processingsystem 200. Collaborative systems 105-115 and sharing system 135, forexample, each can be implemented using a data processing system or aplurality of communicatively linked data processing systems asillustrated in FIG. 2.

System 200 can include at least one processor 205 coupled to memoryelements 210 through a system bus 215. As such, system 200 can storeprogram code, e.g., a collaborative application or a sharing systemapplication, within memory elements 210. Processor 205 can execute theprogram code accessed from memory elements 210 via system bus 215. Inone aspect, for example, system 200 can be implemented as computer thatis suitable for storing and/or executing program code. It should beappreciated, however, that system 200 can be implemented in the form ofany system including a processor and memory that is capable ofperforming the functions described within this specification.

Memory elements 210 can include one or more physical memory devices suchas, for example, local memory 220 and one or more bulk storage devices225. Local memory 220 refers to random access memory or othernon-persistent memory device(s) generally used during actual executionof the program code. Bulk storage device(s) 225 can be implemented as ahard drive or other persistent data storage device. System 200 also caninclude one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporarystorage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number oftimes program code must be retrieved from bulk storage device 225 duringexecution.

Input/output (I/O) devices such as a keyboard 230, a display 235, and apointing device 240 optionally can be coupled to system 200. The I/Odevices can be coupled to system 200 either directly or throughintervening I/O controllers. Network adapter 245 also can be coupled tosystem 200 to enable system 200 to become coupled to other systems,computer systems, remote printers, and/or remote storage devices throughintervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modems, andEthernet cards are examples of different types of network adapter 245that can be used with system 200.

As noted, memory elements 210 can store a collaborative application inthe case of a collaborative system thereby configuring system 200 toperform the various functions and/or operations described within thisspecification for a collaborative system. In another aspect, memoryelements 210 can store a sharing application in the case of a sharingsystem thereby configuring system 200 to perform the various functionsand/or operations described within this specification for a sharingsystem.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method 300 sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with another embodimentdisclosed within this specification. Method 300 illustrates an automatedmethod for selecting a particular collaborative system from a pluralityof collaborative systems to host an artifact. Method 300 can beperformed by sharing system 135 as described with reference to FIGS. 1and 2 of this specification.

In step 305, the sharing system can identify an artifact to be hosted bya collaborative system. For example, a user such as an owner of theartifact can interact with a user interface of the sharing system tospecify the artifact. In step 310, the sharing system can determine oneor more attributes of the identified artifact. Examples of attributes ofthe artifact can include, but are not limited to, the type of the file,e.g., an extension of the file, the size of the file, whether the fileis a media file to be played via the collaborative site hosting theartifact, the number of users intended to access the artifact, etc.

In another aspect, attributes of the artifact can include a list ofusers that are to have access to the artifact once loaded into acollaborative system. For example, the sharing system can determine oneor more users that are to have access to the artifact once hosted in aparticular collaborative system. The owner of the artifact can specifyone or more other users that are to have access, e.g., read or writeaccess, to the artifact when hosted by a collaborative system. Suchinformation can be provided by the owner through the user interface usedto specify the artifact. Each user that is identified can be one that isregistered with the sharing system and with one or more collaborativesystems available to host the artifact.

In step 315, the sharing system can determine one or morecharacteristics of each of a plurality of collaborative systems that areavailable to host the artifact. In one aspect, the sharing system caninclude a list of collaborative systems available to host the artifact.The list can specify known characteristics of the each collaborativesystem. Some characteristics can be static such as, for example, thecost of storing a unit of data on the collaborative system. Othercharacteristics can be dynamic in that the characteristics change overtime and are determined by a query from the sharing system to theapplicable collaborative system. As such, the sharing system must querythe collaborative system(s) in order to determine the current state orvalue of the characteristic. An example of a dynamic characteristic of acollaborative system can include the amount of long term (e.g.,persistent or non-transient storage) such as disk space available orunused.

Another example of a characteristic that can be static or dynamicdepending upon the particular collaborative system can be which usersare registered with, and able to access, the collaborative system. Forexample, the sharing system can query each collaborative system on thelist to determine whether each of the users associated with the artifactis registered with the collaborative system and, as such, would be ableto access the artifact if hosted on the collaborative system. In anotherexample, the characteristics can include whether the owner of theartifact has write access to the collaborative system. In this regard,any collaborative systems to which the owner does not have write accesscan be excluded from consideration for hosting the artifact.

Consider the case in which the users intended to access the artifactonce hosted in a collaborative system have different rights from onecollaborative system to the next. Some users, for instance, can beemployees of an organization with access to an internally availablecollaborative system that is protected within a firewall or othernetwork security measure of the organization, while other users are notemployees and do not have access to the internally availablecollaborative system. For example, the non-employee users can haveaccess to a publicly available collaborative system that is locatedexternal to the firewall. Thus, it may be the case that one or moreusers intended to have access to the artifact are registered users ofcollaborative systems 1 and 3, whereas one or more other users that alsoare intended to have access to the artifact are registered withcollaborative systems 2 and 3.

In step 320, the sharing system can evaluate the collaborative systemson the list according to the attribute(s) of the artifact that is to behosted. The evaluation can be performed using any of a variety oftechniques. In one aspect, scoring techniques can be used in which eachcollaborative system is scored for suitability considering one or moreor all of the attributes of the artifact and characteristics of thecollaborative systems. For example, an administrator of the sharingsystem can set scoring parameters that can be used to rank thecollaborative systems in terms of suitability for hosting the artifactgiven the attributes of the artifact. In another aspect, techniques canbe used in which the collaborative systems from the list are continuallynarrowed or reduced by applying one criteria or performing onecomparison at a time.

In one example, the list of collaborative systems can be evaluated firstto determine a subset of collaborative systems from the list with whicheach of the users associated with the artifact is registered and, assuch, is able to access the artifact if hosted on the collaborativesystem. Collaborative systems that do not meet this criterion can beeliminated from consideration or eliminated from the list of availablecollaborative systems considered for hosting the artifact. Referring tothe prior example, only collaborative system 3 would be available forhosting the artifact.

In another example, using a comparison of the attributes of the artifactwith the characteristics of the collaborative systems, a subset ofcollaborative systems from the list can be determined that havecharacteristics matching the attributes of the artifact in terms ofavailable resources needed to host the artifact, e.g., sufficientpersistent storage, or sufficient persistent storage that is lowest incost, etc. In another example, load balancing can be considered wherethe current load on each collaborative system is used as a dynamicallydetermined characteristic by the sharing system to select acollaborative system currently having a lower load than others.

As noted, the evaluation can consider each of the attributes and/orcharacteristics concurrently or one at a time. For example, the list ofcollaborative systems can be narrowed to a first subset in which eachcollaborative system is able to provide access to each user associatedwith the artifact. The list of collaborative systems can be furthernarrowed to a second subset of those that have sufficient computingresources to host the artifact. The list of collaborative systems can befurther narrowed to a third subset in which the “N” most cost effectivecollaborative systems are selected for hosting the artifact, where “N”is an integer value that can be a sharing system preference.

In step 325, the sharing system can select the collaborative system ofthose considered that is most, or best, suited to hosting the artifactbased upon the evaluation performed in step 320. The collaborativesystem that is selected can be the collaborative system remaining, e.g.,the one that has not been eliminated from consideration or can be thecollaborative system having the highest score from the evaluation whentwo or more collaborative systems remain viable candidates, e.g., havenot been eliminated.

In step 330, the sharing system can store the artifact in the selectedcollaborative system. In storing, or uploading, the artifact to theselected collaborative system, the sharing system can create anynecessary and/or appropriate objects that may be required within theselected collaborative system. For example, the sharing system can firstcreate a collaborative space, e.g., a discussion thread or space,activity, task, etc., within the selected collaborative system whereeach user associated with the artifact is specified as an authorizeduser for the collaborative space created. The sharing system then canstore or otherwise associate the artifact with the created collaborativespace.

It should be appreciated that the sharing system, being capable ofcommunicating with each of the collaborative systems considered forhosting the artifact via the API of each respective collaborative systemcan be configured to provide the instructions or information necessaryto effectuate the actions described. The sharing system can perform theoperations necessary to cause each collaborative system to host theartifact despite the operations, e.g., commands and/or syntax of theoperations, being different from one collaborative system to the next.

Having selected a collaborative system and issued instructions to causethe collaborative system to host the artifact, the sharing system canmaintain a record of the transactions performed that specifies, forexample, the artifact, the location of the artifact (e.g., a uniformresource identifier (URI) or a uniform resource locator (URL)), theusers associated with the artifact, etc.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method 400 of sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with another embodimentdisclosed within this specification. Method 400 illustrates a method ofselecting a collaborative system for hosting an artifact from aplurality of collaborative systems. Method 400 can be performed bysharing system 135 as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of thisspecification.

In step 405, the sharing system can identify the owner of the artifactto be hosted. For example, the owner can log into the sharing system. Instep 410, the sharing system can determine the artifact that is to beuploaded, e.g., by the owner indicating the artifact via a userinterface. In step 415, the sharing system can determine one or moreattributes for the artifact, e.g., file type, size, users to access theartifact, etc.

In step 420, the sharing system can determine the particularcollaborative systems to which the owner has access. For example, thesharing system can be configured to include a list of registered userswhere the list further indicates which collaborative system(s) of thoseregistered with the sharing system that each user has access and thetype of access, e.g., read, write, etc. In another example, the sharingsystem can determine the collaborative systems to which the owner haswrite access by querying each collaborative system registered with thesharing system for such information. Collaborative systems in which theowner has write access can be considered candidates for hosting theartifact. In step 425, the sharing system can present, e.g., display, alist of collaborative systems to which the owner has write access. Thelist of collaborative systems to which the owner has write access can bepresented to the owner to solicit a response.

In step 430, the sharing system can receive an input from the ownerindicating which of the collaborative systems presented in step 425through which the owner would like the artifact to be published. As usedwithin this specification, “published” can mean that the artifact isavailable via a collaborative system that is publishing the artifact.The artifact can, but need not, be stored or hosted on a collaborativesystem through which the artifact is published.

In step 435, the sharing system can evaluate the collaborative systemsselected by the owner according to the attributes of the artifact and/orany characteristics of the collaborative systems as previouslydescribed. In step 440, the sharing system can select a collaborativesystem for hosting the artifact according to the evaluation performed instep 435. In step 445, the sharing system can store the artifact in theselected, e.g., a “first,” collaborative system.

In step 450, the sharing system can create or post a link, e.g., a softlink, to the artifact hosted in the first collaborative system withinone or more other, e.g., second, collaborative systems. For example, incases where no single collaborative system is able to provide each userassociated with the artifact access to the hosted artifact, the artifactcan be hosted in a selected collaborative system and the sharing systemcan post a link to the artifact in one or more other collaborativesystems. In this regard, the artifact can be published to more than onecollaborative system automatically by the sharing system.

The sharing system can identify a collaborative system, e.g., a secondcollaborative system, that provides access to one or more or all of theusers unable to access the first collaborative system selected to hostthe artifact. The sharing system can post a link to the artifact withinthe second collaborative system. Posting a link rather than anotherinstance of the artifact within the second collaborative system helps toavoid unnecessary computing resource usage across multiple collaborativesystems.

In creating a link, the sharing system can create any necessary and/orappropriate objects that may be required within the second collaborativesystem. For example, the sharing system can first create a collaborativespace, e.g., a discussion thread or space, activity, task, etc., withinthe selected collaborative system where one or more or all usersassociated with the artifact are specified as authorized users for thecollaborative space that is created. In one aspect, only users that areregistered with the second collaborative system, but not the firstcollaborative system, can be designated as authorized users for thecollaborative space created to store the link in the secondcollaborative system.

For example, when the owner selects two collaborative systems to whichthe artifact is to be published, the sharing system can choose a firstof the collaborative systems to host the artifact, e.g., thecollaborative system determined to be best suited, and a second of thecollaborative systems to which a link to the artifact can be posted.

The sharing system also can be configured to mediate access from thecollaborative system in which a link to the artifact is posted (e.g.,the link collaborative system) to the collaborative system hosting theartifact (e.g., the hosting collaborative system). For example,responsive to a user selection of the link in the link collaborativesystem, the link collaborative system can initiate a request to thesharing system to retrieve the artifact. The sharing system, which hascredentials to access both the hosting collaborative system and the linkcollaborative system, can determine that the request originated from auser associated with the requested artifact and from the linkcollaborative system. The sharing system can determine the artifactrequested from the selected link, locate the artifact within the hostingcollaborative system, e.g., locate the URI or URL stored in the sharingsystem for the artifact, retrieve a copy of the artifact from thehosting collaborative system, and provide the artifact to the requestinguser that initially selected the link from the link collaborativesystem.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method 500 of sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with another embodimentdisclosed within this specification. More particularly, method 500illustrates a method propagating information between collaborativesystems relating to an artifact. Method 500 can be performed by sharingsystem 135 as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of thisspecification.

Method 500 can begin in a state where an artifact is hosted in a hostingcollaborative system and a link to the artifact is posted in a linkcollaborative system. A user with access to the link collaborativesystem has accessed the artifact and modified the artifact in some way.Accordingly, the user wishes to provide feedback in the form of anedited version of the artifact back to one or more other usersassociated with the artifact that have access to the hostingcollaborative system.

In step 505, the link collaborative system can identify a modifiedversion of the artifact. For example, a user can interact with the linkcollaborative system to specify a modified version of the artifactthrough a user interface for uploading to the link collaboration system.In step 510, the link collaborative system can store a copy of themodified version of the artifact in the collaborative space in which thelink to the artifact is posted.

In step 515, the sharing system can determine that a modified version ofthe artifact has been uploaded to the collaborative space. In oneaspect, the sharing system can be configured to query each collaborativesystem that is hosting either the artifact or a link thereto, forchanges to the collaborative space in which the link or the artifact isstored from time to time or periodically. In another aspect, the sharingsystem can be registered with the link collaborative system, e.g., as auser of the collaborative space to which the modified version of theartifact is uploaded, to receive a notification responsive to anychanges to the collaborative space.

In step 520, the sharing system can instruct the hosting collaborativesystem to store a copy of the modified version of the artifact in thecollaborative space in which the artifact is stored. In step 525, thesharing system can instruct the link collaborative system to replace themodified version of the artifact with a link to the modified version ofthe artifact now hosted in the hosting collaborative system. Themodified version of the artifact, for example, can be removed orotherwise deleted from the link collaborative system so that only asingle instance of the modified version of the artifact is maintainedacross each collaborative system providing access of some form to theartifact or modified versions of the artifact.

In performing the various operations described herein, the sharingsystem can be configured to store a record of the differenttransactions, e.g., functions, operations, instructions, etc.communicated to and/or from each of the collaborative system. In thisregard, the sharing system can maintain historical records of actionsperformed allowing automation of tasks as described with reference toFIG. 5, for example, to occur without user intervention. The sharingsystem, for example, can maintain a record of the particularcollaborative system and collaborative space hosting the artifact, whichcollaborative systems and collaborative spaces are hosting links to eachartifact, and update the records as new operations are transacted areperformed.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method 600 of sharing artifactsbetween collaborative systems in accordance with another embodimentdisclosed within this specification. More particularly, method 600illustrates a method of dynamically, e.g., automatically, updating anartifact responsive to changes to one or more attributes of theartifact. Method 600 can be performed by sharing system 135 as describedwith reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of this specification.

Method 600 can begin in a state in which an owner of an artifact hostedwithin a first collaborative system changes an attribute of theartifact. For example, the owner can add or remove a user to the list ofusers granted access to the artifact. For purposes of illustration,consider the case in which responsive to modifying an attribute of theartifact, the sharing system determines that a different collaborativesystem is better suited to host the artifact than a first collaborativesystem in which the artifact is currently hosted.

In step 605, the sharing system can store the artifact within a secondcollaborative system determined better suited to host the artifact. Asnoted, the sharing system can instruct the second collaborative systemto generate any objects necessary for hosting the artifact.

In step 610, the sharing system can instruct the first collaborativesystem to remove or delete the artifact. In some cases, the sharingsystem can determine that the first collaborative system, in order tocontinue providing access to each user associated with the artifact,should include a link to the artifact. In that case, the artifact can bereplaced with a link to the artifact now hosted in the secondcollaborative system. In other cases, the first collaborative system mayno longer be needed. In that case, the sharing system can instruct thefirst collaborative system to purge the entire collaborative spaceassociated with the artifact.

In step 615, the sharing system can communicate with each linkcollaborative system to update the link that pointed to the firstcollaborative system to the location of the artifact now hosted in thesecond collaborative system.

The one or more embodiments disclosed within this specification relievethe owner of an artifact from having to determine the propercollaborative system to host an artifact. Further, the owner is relievedfrom having to update a plurality of different collaborative systemswith changes to artifacts over time in order to continue to provideaccess to the artifact, or the most recent version of an artifact,through the plurality of different collaborative systems.

The flowcharts and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowcharts or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “include” and/or“including,” when used in this specification, specify the presence ofstated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components,and/or groups thereof.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment disclosed within thisspecification. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “inan embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may,but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more thantwo. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a secondor more. The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected,whether directly without any intervening elements or indirectly with oneor more intervening elements, unless otherwise indicated. Two elementsalso can be coupled mechanically, electrically, or communicativelylinked through a communication channel, pathway, network, or system. Theterm “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and allpossible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Itwill also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. maybe used herein to describe various elements, these elements should notbe limited by these terms, as these terms are only used to distinguishone element from another.

The term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in responseto determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context.Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated conditionor event] is detected” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or“in response to determining” or “upon detecting [the stated condition orevent]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event],”depending on the context.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. A method of processing an artifact, the method comprising: evaluatingeach of a plurality of collaborative systems, using a processor, forsuitability hosting an artifact according to at least one attribute ofthe artifact; selecting a first collaborative system from the pluralityof collaborative systems according to the evaluation; and storing theartifact in the first collaborative system.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein evaluating each of the plurality of collaborative systemscomprises: determining which of a plurality of users intended to accessthe artifact are registered with each of the plurality of collaborativesystems.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating each of theplurality of collaborative systems comprises: determining at least onecomputing resource needed to host the artifact; and comparing the atleast one computing resource needed to host the artifact with computingresources available in each of the plurality of collaborative systems,wherein the first collaborative system is selected according toavailability of the computing resource needed to host the artifact. 4.The method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically creating a linkwithin a second collaborative system different from the firstcollaborative system pointing to the artifact hosted in the firstcollaborative system.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:limiting the plurality of collaborative systems from which the firstcollaborative system is selected to collaborative systems to which anowner of the artifact has write access.
 6. The method of claim 5,further comprising: receiving a user input selecting at least two of thecollaborative systems to which the owner has write access; and furtherlimiting the plurality of collaborative systems to the at least two ofthe collaborative systems selected by the user input.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: responsive to a change to the at least oneattribute of the artifact: evaluating each of the plurality ofcollaborative systems for suitability hosting the artifact according tothe change to the at least one attribute of the artifact; selecting asecond collaboration system to host the artifact; removing the artifactfrom the first collaborative system; and uploading the artifact to thesecond collaborative system.
 8. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: responsive to detecting a modified version of the artifactwithin a second collaborative system, storing the modified version ofthe artifact within the first collaborative system and replacing themodified version of the artifact within the second collaborative systemwith a link to the modified version of the artifact within the firstcollaborative system.
 9. A method of processing an artifact, the methodcomprising: associating an artifact with a plurality of users;determining each collaborative system from a plurality of collaborativesystems to which each of the plurality of users is registered for accessas a candidate collaborative system; and selecting a first collaborativesystem from the candidate collaborative systems; and storing theartifact in the first collaborative system.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising: determining at least one computing resource neededto host the artifact within a collaborative system; and comparing the atleast one computing resource needed to host the artifact with availablecomputing resources of each candidate collaborative system, wherein thefirst candidate collaborative system is further selected according toavailability of the computing resource needed to host the artifact. 11.The method of claim 9, further comprising: automatically creating a linkwithin a second collaborative system different from the firstcollaborative system pointing to the artifact in the first collaborativesystem. 12-25. (canceled)